A Thousand Words
by xxCindaxx
Summary: Lubelle "Lulu" Donovan is an actress that has waited 995 long days in a prison. Locked up on false charges for the murder of a famous actor, she claims she's innocent. When a noble seeks her out to have her out of prison, she is stunned to know that it is of a young child named Ciel Phantomhive, the famous owner of the Funtom Company and loyal dog to the Queen.
1. Day 996

A Thousand Words

Day 996

* * *

Suffocating.

That was one word to describe what Lubelle was feeling. She was stuck in a hell hole of a prison away from her family and her friends, because of a murder.

A murder she did not commit.

A murder that someone framed her for.

And everybody believes it.

Lulu's long wavy dark locks draped over her shoulders like curtains, her now long fringe covering her expressionless red eyes.

She sat on the ground of a well-kept cell, long chains bound to her wrists and ankles. Every time she moved, the chains would jangle with loudness, echoing around the walls. A guard would then peer into the cell to check on her, making sure she was not doing anything suspicious.

An inaudible sigh escaped her dry lips as she stood up, walking to the window. She could see outside, but she saw nothing but dirt paths and leafless trees.

How she wished she was outside.

How she wished she could continue being an actress.

Her dark eyes cast downwards as her hand gripped onto the vertical bar that was her window. She could see her knuckles become white as she clenched harder, before releasing.

Her dark eyes narrowed as she remembered that day 996 days ago, when she was convicted on false charges.

She turned to the wall next to the window, seeing horribly drawn lines grouped in 4 with a slash through them. They were grouped to be a sign of 5 days, one stroke for each day she had stayed in the forsaken prison. There were 199 of those, all lined up, with a single line, a stray, which was today.

Her hand fell to her side, hitting against her thigh.

That day, 996 days ago, the judge had slammed the hammer down with force as his voice boomed.

"Murder is inexcusable! Lubelle Donovan will be sentenced to execution in 1000 days!"

Lubelle Donovan was a famous actress. She's acted on various stage plays and was touted as one of the best in the industry. She was young, popular and rookies aspired to be her.

That all ended on one showcase, where she was performing with the other lead, Samuel Fosterne.

He was an international star, popular beyond belief. He was wanted by everyone in the industry. A good man, he showcased his talent graciously with the equally talented Lulu, capturing the mass audiences.

With great popularity, comes great jealousy. The secondary female lead, Katherine Barns, was green with envy as the 2 overshadowed her success. She did not like Sam with Lulu. Kate was known to have hated working with Lubelle, as well as fancying Samuel. The idea of working with them as a pair was revolting to her.

In that showcase, Samuel was murdered. It was in a romantic scene where Lubelle was to drink wine with Samuel, their arms entwined together, giving each other their drinks. However, that was the end for Samuel. A couple of minutes after drinking the wine, he had collapsed. It was not a part of the script. He was pronounced dead at the scene due to poisoning.

Being the one that made him drink it, Lulu was immediately the prime suspect, arrested and testified against. The court ruled not in her favour.

That was the gist of it. The issue blew up high and dry, leaving Lubelle low and weak. She was shunned and talked about, with the worst words.

"Who was...it...?" Lubelle's feminine voice was soft and clear. She barely uttered a word after what had happened. That was the result of no one listening to her.

She knew she didn't do it. Why did they persecute her? It was because of 1 piece of evidence they found on her costume at the time, which was a tiny vial filled with clear liquid. After testing, it was confirmed to be the poison used to kill Samuel.

She didn't understand how it got there. She understood nothing at that moment; her mind was a blank page, unscripted and unwritten.

She distinctively remembered that she did NOT, absolutely NOT, owned anything of the sort, nor had any intention or malicious thoughts about killing Samuel.

The court had thought otherwise; they believed she had the intention to kill him because he was becoming more popular than her.

Throughout her days in the lonely cell, Lubelle had thought and thought, racking her brain for all the possibilities that could have happened, as well as if there were any other clues that showed she was not the culprit. But that thinking was in vain. She couldn't remember all there was at the time, nor could she remember everything that happened.

It was useless.

She gave up trying.

She couldn't do anything.

As those words drowned in Lubelle's sorrowful mood, she didn't hear nor pay attention to the visitors of her cell, who had come in quietly, now standing outside of her cell.

A guard standing outside faced the girl, his expression serious. "You have visitors, Donovan." His words were on edge and he seemed almost angry, spitting out her surname as if it was distasteful.

Lubelle didn't turn to look. Her deep red eyes was still steadily gazing outside the window, at the vast plains of dry and dead vegetation.

The guard grunted and unlocked the cell, letting the visitors in.

"She may look innocent, but she's a murderer. Be careful, Earl." The guard warned. There it was again. That angry, spiteful tone that Lubelle so very hated.

"Heh." The voice was not recognisable. It was a mild voice full of confidence and authority, but yet at the same time, it was the voice of a growing male child.

This prompted Lulu to turn slowly. She met the eyes of her visitors, noticing that there were 2 of them. They were both well dressed, clean and tidy. There was a tall, dark haired handsome one, whose eyes were a lighter shade of red to Lubelle's. He was wearing a swallowtail suit and standing slightly behind a smaller person, who seemed to be a boy, around the age of 12. He wore an eyepatch and had big blue eyes and similar shaded hair.

Lubelle was silent. What were they here for? Surely, since they are well dressed and had an air of authority around them, they had to be important.

"My name is Ciel Phantomhive and this is my butler, Sebastian." That unfamiliar voice spoke again, from the younger boy. The butler was the tall man and he bowed slightly to greet Lulu upon his name being said. He had a small smile on his face.

Lubelle didn't say anything but tilted her head slightly to an angle. When the guard said 'Earl', she had thought it referred to the taller man. She was wrong.

"Lubelle Donovan. A famous actress convicted for the cold blooded murder of another famous actor, Samuel Fosterne." Ciel started, his big blue hues were staring directly at Lulu, unwavering and strong. "I know all about you. How you think you have been wrongly accused even when the odds were completely against you, how you always stood by a non-guilty verdict." The young boy took a pause, his blues slightly narrowing, "And how your execution is in 4 days."

The last words made Lulu sigh deeply, her gaze drifting to the floor.

So what of it? It's not like she can stop the execution. What was the point in coming now? She was going to die in a couple if days' time, so why bother?

The young Earl watched the older female, seeing that she had grown thin and pale. Her once vibrant look and personality had been replaced with vacant looks of helplessness and she seemed to have given up.

Sebastian and Ciel exchanged looks. The butler nodded. Ciel turned to face the young woman again.

"We have special permission to permit you to leave this cell until your execution date." Ciel's words drove straight into Lulu's mind, where it repeated itself over and over.

With widened red eyes, Lubelle looked up. She could feel an emotion that she thought had long left her, one that pulsed through her veins as if to say, 'Let me leave this forsaken hell hole.' She felt herself reanimated again, fueled by the prospect of being able to go outside. It thrilled her more than she thought.

"…What?" Her voice came out shrill, a mixture of shock and surprise evident in it.

"You're permitted to leave this cell until your execution date." Ciel rearranged his words. He stared her down, patiently waiting for her answer, her reply.

"Why…why would you do something like that?" She was astonished.

"Do you or do you not want to?" Ciel's voice was demanding. He wanted to seek out an answer now. "I'll explain when you come with me."

An ounce of fear hitched itself into Lubelle as she thought of what would happen next. Would she be able to go out? She felt herself dreading it, hearing the voices of people insulting her and throwing accusations and lies in her face.

Sebastian noticed her hesitation and took a small step forward, the usual charming smile on his face as his velvety voice spoke, "It would be best to follow the young master. There is something that must be discussed. I think it will suit your best interests."

The tall butler's red eyes met the Donovan's red hues. The demon's eyes were hollow but beautiful, staring into Lubelle's soul as if it were a glass mirror. Sebastian was pleased to see that she was considering it.

"I don't have all day." Ciel said impatiently.

"I…will…" Lulu's voice was weak. She wanted to go outside, but the paranoia of being mistreated and not listened to remained in her mind like a ticking bomb. She may break down again, just like she did before.

"Good." Ciel's lips curled upwards into a small smirk, before he turned on his heel. "Let's go."

Lubelle followed her saviour, her shoes tapping against the hard floor lightly as she was led through the various dimly lit stone corridors with a guard as their guide. Once they reached outside, the former actress noticed a carriage outside.

The young Earl climbed into the carriage after Sebastian opened the door. Taking Lubelle's hand in his, Sebastian helped the younger woman up onto the carriage before shutting the door and jumping into the driver's seat, whipping the horse to move to their next destination, the Phantomhive mansion.

* * *

"The Queen gave us permission to let you out before 1000 days." Ciel crossed his legs on his expensive and comfortable chair, leaning his arm elbow on the armrest as he supported his cheek with a fist.

They were in one of the rooms of the Phantomhive mansion, arriving an hour later after leaving the prison. Lubelle was nervous the whole time and wasn't surprised when she saw the mansion for the first time. It was magnificent to say and it supported the title of Earl.

The long haired female had then been introduced to the 4 servants of the house, including the previous head butler, Tanaka. Meirin, Bard and Finny were very kind and she felt warm inside, not having felt that happy in a long time.

After being ushered out of the carriage, she was changed into something more presentable. She was washed and dressed by Meirin before she appeared out in a light dress with a floral design.

She was now seated opposite of the young Earl, her hands scrunched up into nervous fists on her lap as she stared at the expensive coffee table between them.

"The Queen?" Lubelle looked up, puzzled. She had certainly not expected the Queen to release her from jail in the last days of life she had left.

The door opened and Sebastian came in pushing a tray of desserts and treats. He had tea with him as well. The butler began to place them on the table, making sure to make the least amount of noise possible.

"She thinks that there is something wrong with the case you were convicted on." Ciel was handed a cup of hot tea. He took a small sip from it, before placing it down with a light clink on the glass.

"Something wrong…?" Lubelle could barely hear herself talk.

She couldn't believe her ears. The Queen had thought that something was wrong with the case? Wasn't that a good thing? That would mean that the Queen casts a doubtful eye to it, therefore meaning that Lubelle could overturn the conviction.

"'Reinvestigate this case', was what she said." Ciel looked up, his long eyelashes making the movement graceful. "We've looked through the files to find flaws, but there doesn't seem to be any." Ciel took a brief pause. "Sebastian."

The butler nodded, placing a hand over his chest and bowing slightly before letting it fall back to his side. "There was nothing wrong with the report. It was too perfect. I did a little…digging, and it seems that the reports have been tampered with, young master."

A ghost of a smile was on the young Phantomhive's face. His blue eyes met Lubelle's red ones, holding them in his captive stare, "There you have it. Somebody in Scotland Yard may have tampered with the document. We might be dealing with corruption." There was a hint of amusement in his young voice.

"Another thing, young master." Sebastian caught his attention. Ciel cast his eyes to his butler to tell him to continue. "I found the original documents inside a locked safe of a relative of a witness, who happens to be part of Scotland Yard."

Lulu's red eyes nearly popped out of her head when she realised that he had broken into somebody's home and stolen something from their house. Was he even allowed to do that?

"A relative of a witness?" Ciel asked, his interest piquing.

"The witness is the actress, Katherine Barns' uncle, Gilford Barns. He's a commissioner of Scotland Yard, the highest rank. I believe he may have been the one to alter the documents." Sebastian replied. He took out 2 files from inside his suit and handed them to Ciel.

In the moment of silence that followed, Ciel flipped through the papers, scanning the original and the modified files.

Lulu played with her fingers, fidgeting. Once Sebastian said that name, she instantly felt like she was stabbed in the abdomen. Katherine and she never did have a good relationship. Her name was brought up so early – Lulu thought she was only involved as a witness. But what did this mean?

"There seems to have been quite a number of changes." The young Earl noted, staring at both files in his hands side to side.

His handsome butler nodded in agreement. He glanced at the former actress with the side of his eyes, seeing her with an expression of shock. He smirked, "This was found inside Gilford Barn's office at the Scotland Yard office. It was concealed quite cleverly underneath a rug." Sebastian gave Lubelle a charming smile.

Lulu gulped, feeling that what they were doing was illegal. It wasn't at someone's home, but someone's office! They can't just break into the office of a police officer from Scotland Yard and take their things!

"Isn't this…isn't this illegal?" Her voice squeaked.

Ciel and Sebastian blinked their eyes at her with surprise, before they let out a low chuckle which resonated on the walls of the room. It unnerved Lubelle.

With a knowing smirk, Ciel's blue eyes glistened. She didn't get an answer, but only an action. Sebastian had a dangerously cunning smile on his face. He placed a finger to his lip to signal her to keep it a secret.

Lubelle was stunned. They knew what they were doing was illegal, but they still did it! What was going on? She felt her head hurt from all the thinking she was doing.

She opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by the young Earl.

"If you're going to say that it's illegal…I'll say this once: this is for _you_. Whether the means is illegal or not, I _will_ find out the truth of that case." Ciel's eyes were steady and strong, showing resolve.

Lubelle felt her breath leave her. She didn't know whether or not to feel flattered, or if she should be offended because they were using illegal methods. The woman was silent, her hands on her lap as she twiddled her thumbs.

"Do you…do this all the time?" She asked, purposely avoiding their eyes.

Ciel hummed. He gave the documents back to Sebastian. "Make a copy of these and make it quick. Put them back where they belong."

"As you wish, my Lord."

Lubelle's question was avoided. Sebastian left the room, closing the door quietly behind him. It was just Ciel and Lulu now.

"When Sebastian comes back, we'll go see the Undertaker. Samuel's body might have passed by that place." Ciel broke the silence, taking the teacup into his fingers. He took a sip, watching Lulu's reaction.

"The Undertaker…?" She questioned. She'd heard that name before. There was only one of them in the city, a person whose job was to prepare dead bodies and make arrangements for funerals.

The Earl nodded. "If the case is what I think it is…then _he_ will help us."

Lulu repeated, " _He_?"

* * *

His long – _very long_ – gray hair with a single braid puddled on a coffin he sat on with his legs crossed. His hair covered half his face, only showing his nose and mouth, along with noticeable scar across his face. On his lips was a mysterious smile. Fully dressed in black, he was the Undertaker.

"What brings you here, Earl?" The Undertaker giggled creepily, making a shiver climb up Lubelle's spine. "And who is that?" He turned his head to her, tilting his head in confusion. It was as if a light bulb went off. The Undertaker lifted his cloaked arm and waved it carelessly at the female, making her take a step back.

"You're that famous actress, Lubelle Donovan!" His smile creeped her. She flinched at her name being said.

With an insecure nod, Lubelle looked to Ciel and Sebastian for guidance. They didn't look at her, staring straight ahead to the long haired man.

"Have you come across Samuel Fosterne's body?" Ciel got straight to the point, impatiently stamping his cane down onto the ground.

The Undertaker only giggled, drawing out his vowels, "And what if I did?" He made funny gestures with his cloaked arms.

"Tell us." Ciel demanded.

Lubelle stared at him with shock. Why was the kid acting like that?

"You'll have to entertain me first." The gray haired man giggled eerily. He pointed to Ciel, "Will you?" he redirected it to Lulu, "Or you…? Or…" He finally pointed to Sebastian.

Lubelle noticed that his fingers were very long, with painted black nails the size of a nail. She titled her head slightly.

 _Why does he have such long nails?_

Sebastian took a step forward, pulling at the hem of his white gloves. "I will do it." He turned to his master and guest, "Please wait outside. _Do not look in_."

After a short while of waiting outside, the Phantomhive and Donovan were called back in.

Ciel clicked his tongue, seeing the dull haired Undertaker laughing with drool coming from his mouth. "Took you long enough, Sebastian."

"My apologies, young master."

 _What was the point of making him laugh?_ Lulu thought with curiosity.

Her red irises watched the creepy man. He had stopped laughing, a smile on his face as a long fingernail tapped the coffin lid. "That was good…very funny."

"And? Sam Fosterne?" Ciel pressed.

"Mister Fosterne's body…did come by."

Lubelle's eyes went huge. What did this mean?

Sebastian glanced at Ciel. "It seems your assumption was correct."

"Oh?" The Undertaker made an 'o' with his mouth. He giggled, tapping his fingers repeatedly against the coffin. "He was a decent lad…but poisoned very badly. His insides were all burned."

The female cringed at the detail. An image of her giving the glass to Sam flashed through her mind and she pressed a hand to her mouth.

"Who sent him in?" Ciel watched the Undertaker intently.

"Gilford Barns!" The long nailed man crossed his fingers and supported his chin on the back of his hand.

 _Katherine's uncle?!_ Lubelle's eyes widened. _Was he in on this too?_

"Thought so." Ciel mumbled. Sebastian whispered a few words to the young master.

"Thank you, Undertaker. You have been very helpful." The handsome butler gave a mysterious smile to the long haired man. He turned to Lulu and his master, "We should take our leave."

"Where are we heading?" Lubelle asked, following behind them like a lost puppy. She nodded towards the Undertaker's direction in thanks as he waved with his cloaked arm.

"I hope you catch them!" The Undertaker said in a sing-song voice.

The ex-actress's red eyes widened. How did he know that she wasn't the true killer? Not a word was spoken to have expressed that significant detail.

She caught some yellow and green from under all his hair. The Undertaker's demeanour had shifted to one of ominous, making a shiver go up the female's spine.

"Do try to make it back alive."

* * *

"That's enough for today." Ciel plopped onto the large armchair in one of the many rooms of the Phantomhive household and loosened his tie, exhaling deeply. He stared at the documents, both real and forged, on the mahogany table.

Sebastian quietly opened the door, holding a silver plate with freshly brewed tea. "I have brought tea."

"Earl Gray?"

"Yes."

Sebastian set the cup down for his master. He glanced at the documents that Ciel had been reading, seeing a picture of the Scotland Yard Commissioner.

"Investigating Gilford Barns?" Sebastian quizzed.

Ciel sipped his tea. His big blue eyes glanced at the documents before his butler. "Why wouldn't I?"

Sebastian chuckled lightly and stood tall, checking the watch in his front pocket. It was just past 11.

"How is Lubelle?" The young Earl questioned, setting down his tea. His legs crossed and he leaned his cheek on his fist against the arm of the chair.

"She's asleep." Sebastian responded.

The Phantomhive was silent for a brief moment. "It's more troublesome than I had thought."

Sebastian blinked and raised an eyebrow. Surely his master wasn't talking about the case? "Is it the reports, young master?"

"Heh." Ciel shook his head and stared down at the table of documents. "Not at all. It's the case. Her Majesty truly knows how to pick up something difficult."

"Fitting for the Queen's Watchdog, don't you think?" Sebastian sneered.

Ciel shot him a glare, a frown pulling his lips downwards. He ignored his impudent butler and leaned forward, uncrossing his legs to take the documents. He handed Gilford Barns' document to him.

The demon took the document and skimmed through it. His deep red eyes arched in amusement.

" _Interesting_."


	2. Day 997

A Thousand Words

Day 997

* * *

"It's time to wake up, Miss Donovan." Sebastian pulled the curtains, letting the blinding sun filter through the transparent window.

Lubelle felt the warmth on her face and groaned silently, turning away from the sun.

"Miss Donovan, breakfast has been prepared." The demon smiled and stood by her bed.

Lulu rubbed her eyes groggily and sat up lazily, almost frowning. When her eyes had adjusted to the light, she blinked rapidly at her luxurious surroundings. Her red eyes landed on the butler of the household, seeing the usual charming smile on his face.

"Good morning, Sebastian. Thank you for coming to wake me up." The female nodded her head in his direction.

He gave her a closed eye smile and bowed slightly, "It's a pleasure."

"Miss Donovan!" A female voice called, knocking on the door. Sebastian sent a look to the door before opening it, revealing Meirin. The maid blushed upon eye contact with the butler.

Sebastian ignored her and glanced back at Lubelle, "Meirin will assist you. I will excuse myself." He nodded and let himself out.

The maid smiled and came into the room, bouncing up to Lubelle. Lulu smiled at her. She noticed the worker held a dress; probably her dress to wear for the day.

"Breakfast is ready! So let's make this quick!"

* * *

"Where are we going, Ciel?" Lubelle asked warily. She looked at her surroundings to see many people bustling here and there in the city. She dipped her hat to hide her face when people tried to look at her.

Ciel, who sat opposite her in the carriage, followed her gaze outside. His big blue eyes flickered back to the ex-actress's, seeing a scared look in them. His eyes slightly narrowed.

 _She knows this place_ , the young Earl thought smartly. He held back a smirk. _Indeed…of course she would know this place._

After another few minutes of driving, the carriage came to a halt. The door opened gracefully and revealed a smiling Sebastian, who held the door open in courtesy.

"Miss Donovan?" Sebastian reached his hand out slightly.

The female nodded her head slowly and glanced at Ciel, who had an impassive expression. She pressed her lips together into a thin line. She placed her hand in Sebastian's as she climbed out of the carriage. Ciel followed by after, stomping his cane onto the ground.

Lubelle froze upon seeing the familiar lights of JENKINS THEATRE. She felt a lump form horribly in her throat. Her hands shook. One hand clasped onto the other's wrist to stop the shaking.

Ciel and Sebastian had noticed the small action. They exchanged a glance. Ciel took a couple of steps forward, before looking over his shoulder.

"Are you coming or not?" His tone was neither impatient nor irritated. It held a certain mysterious vibe on the edge of playfulness and another that Lubelle quite couldn't pick out.

"C-Coming…" The female gulped down her nervousness and forced herself to move forward. Her steps were heavy and she could almost feel the gravity pushing her shoulders to the ground.

Ciel gave her a small smirk and turned ahead, continuing in his step.

* * *

"Even though this place was the site of a murder, the Jenkins Theatre still gets a good amount of business." Ciel commented, glancing at the huge line that had formed outside one of the theatres.

Lubelle glanced in that direction. Her ruby coloured eyes caught site of a poster on the side, where a big picture of a blue eyed woman with straight light brown hair styled in a ponytail was the centre of all the hype. The Donovan couldn't believe her eyes. Her mouth opened as she gaped at the female in the picture.

"What's wrong?" Ciel asked quizzed. His eyebrow had risen and they had stopped their steps.

"That's Katherine Barns…" Lubelle's voice was so quiet that only Sebastian was able to make out what she had said.

"What?" Ciel turned his head to her in confusion.

"Young Master, that's Katherine Barns." Sebastian replied. His demonic red eyes flickered quickly to the ex-actress, seeing that she was biting her thumbnail. He turned to Ciel.

The boy's eyes had widened then returned to their normal size. He stared at the picture for a long while, made a mental note, and turned to the side, beginning to walk to his destination.

"I know."

* * *

The double doors were taller than Sebastian and wider than the three of them put together. They were chained tightly together with a big lock for security.

Sebastian eyed the lock and inwardly smirked. He thought, _Locks? How pathetic._

Lubelle's feet were firmly planted on the ground as she froze yet again. The theatre, the door…they were all so familiar to her. Memories repeated in her mind from _that_ time. It was a short spur of the moment, but it had changed her life forever. Her lip quivered as she heard the screams from that time in her head; screams aimed at her.

" _ **MURDERER!"**_

" _ **AHHH! MURDERER! CATCH HER!"**_

" _ **SHE KILLED HIM!"**_

Lulu felt her body grow cold. She felt a knot in her stomach, churning. Her face had become deathly pale as her fears grew. She couldn't step into the room. She _couldn't_. It held horrible memories that she wanted to lock away forever and never relive.

Noticing that the presence behind him had stopped, Ciel looked over his shoulder. Sebastian watched her closely. In all his years as a demon, he saw all types of fear in humans. The fear of hers was no different. Secretly, it amused him.

 _Humans. So feeble._

"Are you coming or not?" Ciel's question came out like a demand. It didn't sound like he had given her a choice.

Lubelle shook her head, clenching her arms tightly. She felt short of breath and she couldn't move forward into the room.

Ciel's gaze went back to the door. He thought, _It doesn't matter if she comes or not._

"Sebastian, open the lock. We need to get in." Ciel commanded. He pointed his cane at the large lock.

"Certainly." The demon butler smirked.

Lubelle was shaking. Her knees felt weak and her mind was filled with images only from that time.

 _I thought I had gotten rid of these memories…! But I…I can't…!_ She fought with her inner demons, arguing back and forth. In her mind, it was a clash against light and dark. She glanced up from the side to see Ciel's back, standing tall.

 _He's an Earl, but he's so young. He even went as far as to go to my cell and take me out of the forsaken place…to reinvestigate what happened, even if they were orders from the Queen. But…I heard the Phantomhives were killed? What has this young boy been through? Why is he standing so tall? Why isn't he afraid? Why?!_ Lubelle's thoughts swirled rapidly in her head, causing her to question her fears and compare it to the young Earl's. She didn't know what had overcome her, but her foot moved forward, if only an inch. She wanted to solve this case once and for all, even if it was unlikely they'd find any clues at the crime scene, which was now over 3 years old.

"I'll…I'll go…I'll go!" Lubelle forced her voice. It shook. She was scared. Very scared. But seeing Ciel standing tall and not being afraid was what made her want to change things. She didn't want to be scared of that room.

Ciel once again looked over, but this time, his brow was raised. She was the same as before and was taking baby steps towards them, but it was an improvement from the shaking leaf she was before. He smirked slyly.

 _Well, what do you know?_

Sebastian blinked a couple of times, surprised. He held in a chuckle as he undid the lock carefully. _Humans are so interesting._

Sebastian unravelled the chains so that it all hung on one door handle and they were able to push the other one to enter. The butler pushed it open slowly. He felt a presence in there before they came in, but it had already disappeared. His eyes narrowed slightly and he let his Master and the guest go in before he did.

Once in, the door closed behind them. Even though it was a locked room and nobody entered it, the lights were already opened, lighting up the stage.

Lubelle gulped thickly when she saw the outline of where a body has been – namely, Samuel's body. She also saw the exact same table that they used on set all those days ago. She felt her eyes sting as she remembered how her partner had drunk the liquid and smiled at her, initiating a conversation. The conversation she remembered wasn't a personal conversation, it was part of the script. They were talking about their supposed future, where they would get married. But when Samuel had talked about marriage and started agreeing to it, he had started coughing up blood, before he collapsed on the stage.

Lulu covered her ears and squeezed her eyes shut.

 _I knew it! I…I can't…!_ Tears stung at the corners of her eyes.

"Miss Donovan, are you alright?" Sebastian had concern in his voice when he noticed her continually shaking frame.

Lubelle didn't even hear him and opened her eyes, a gentle sob ripping through her body. She hugged herself, tense with fear. She watched as her world blurred – she could see Ciel going near the stage, inspecting whatever there was to inspect.

 _Ciel…is so brave..._ Lulu noticed. She realised her crying had stopped, and blinked the remaining tears away.

"What did it feel like to stand up on stage?" Ciel's voice floated through the air and into her ears. Even though he was facing the centre stage, Lubelle knew that his question was directed at her.

 _What it felt like…?_ Lulu thought. Her grip on her arms tightened. _It was exhilarating; it was fun…but…but!_

Having not received a reply, the Phantomhive tilted his head back and inspected the area around the stage, including the lights.

 _Why are they on?_ He thought suspiciously. _Moreover, this scene should have been cleaned up after Lubelle was arrested. Who kept it like this?_

Sebastian glanced to his Master and then back at Lulu. He had a feeling Ciel had noticed something. "Why don't we head over to the young Master?" The demon suggested.

Donovan froze on the spot and robotically turned to face Sebastian, red eyes wide. 'NO!' screamed in her mind countless times. She was mentally unprepared. But, the words wouldn't come out of her mouth.

Seeing her hesitation, the butler sighed deeply inside. He smiled to cover up his real thoughts.

"Bring her over here, Sebastian." Ciel ordered. His eyes didn't leave the stage area.

"As you wish." The handsome demon picked Lubelle up, ignoring her yelp and protests as he hurried to where the young Master was.

"P-put me down this instant!" Lubelle cried, struggling. She wanted away from the horrible memories.

Sebastian completely ignored her. His grip was strong, so she wasn't able to move much. She whimpered when she saw Ciel's impassive expression.

"Quiet down, Lubelle." Ciel hit his cane against the ground. His tone was slightly impatient, as if he was starting to get annoyed at her behaviour.

Seeing his change in attitude, the former actress sunk into the demon's arms as if she was a withering flower.

"I don't remember Lubelle Donovan being such a scaredy cat." Ciel's words were like a knife through her heart.

She gaped at him, her struggle stopping. Her chest and head hurt from those words. She didn't expect them to hurt her like it did now. Had she changed that much? She didn't know, nor did she even realise.

Ciel turned back to the stage, "Now," He pointed his cane at where the outlines of the body lay, "That area has probably been investigated many times over, so we'll go to the back." He paused, "I trust you can show us the way, Lubelle."

Hearing her name from the boy's mouth made her jump in Sebastian's arms. Even though she was frightened of the room, she felt the need to change that attitude for the better. After all, they were the ones trying to help her.

 _If I can't even help out…then that would mean that…they have no purpose to be here…_ Lubelle thought, ashamed. _I can't let my fear take away my chance of innocence._

"O-okay…" Lubelle stammered. She looked up, "Sebastian, please put me down."

The butler glanced at his young Lord for permission, in which he granted. Lubelle's hands held the sides of her dress in a bunch, no doubt from her frightened state.

"Good."

Sebastian swore he saw a ghost of a smirk upon the young Master's lips, causing him to question what he was after.

* * *

"This…is the d-dressing room." Lubelle opened the door to the room, finding it unlocked.

Ciel walked in casually, looking around at every little thing he could set his big blue eyes on. The former actress stood fidgeting on the side, near the mirrors. Ciel was currently looking through the racks of clothing with the end of his cane.

"Did Scotland Yard check the clothes?" The young Phantomhive enquired.

"They only checked what I was wearing at that time…" Lulu trailed off, seeing the same dress she wore those few years ago. It was on the back of the chair that faced the mirror. She pointed to it, "This is the dress I wore."

"Sebastian, search it." Ciel ordered.

"Yes, my Lord." The tall butler went over and grabbed the dress, searching through it thoroughly.

"It's already been searched many times though…" Lubelle tilted her head, her hands intertwined together tightly.

"Did they find anything on you?"

"They found a small vial...I don't know how it got there…" Lulu recalled the moment when she was searched – the time when they found a small vial containing residue of a poison; the same poison that claimed her co-worker's life. She felt cold at the memories, even though the theatre was quite warm.

"Was it on you before the stage play?" Sebastian took out the exact same vial that was on Lubelle's bodice when she was searched. It was small but it was deadly.

"I don't know…" Lubelle gasped, covering her mouth. She pointed at the vial, "T-that's…!"

The butler and his Master exchanged knowing glances. Sebastian pocketed the vial in his breast pocket while Ciel looked around some more.

"There's nothing more here." Ciel walked out the door. The others followed after him.

Lulu controlled her breathing so that she wouldn't feel too overwhelmed and faint – even though the overwhelming feeling was quite apparent. However, she pushed on.

"What's in here?" Ciel stopped in front of another door, not too far down from the dressing room they were just at.

"That was…Samuel's dressing room…" Lubelle's voice lowered. She added, "Scotland Yard did search there. They found nothing."

The tween child smirked, "We'll see about that."

* * *

"In the end…you didn't find anything." Lubelle murmured, climbing back into the carriage. Once she sat down, she realised that she was really tired, her leg muscles sore.

Ciel filed into the carriage and took off his hat. He only hummed in response.

Once the carriage started moving, Lulu's eyes found Ciel. She stared at him for a long, long while. He had somehow convinced her to go through with the whole thing at Jenkin's Theatre, even though she really didn't want to. But thanks to him, she was able to – it wasn't as bad as she thought, though the memories were traumatizing.

"What?" Ciel knew she had been staring at him for half the ride. He glanced at her through his thick lashes.

"Oh, uh, um, I..." Lubelle jumped a little in her seat, surprised at the sudden noise, "I…wanted to thank you, Ciel."

"For what?" He replied curtly.

"You helped me go through with what I could not do myself." The former actress gave him a small smile.

Ciel's brows raised but returned to normal in a split second. He commented, "Jail doesn't suit you." He muttered.

Donovan didn't hear those words and only a mumble, "Pardon?"

"It's nothing."

* * *

Sebastian handed Ciel the small vial that they found on the dress, back at the Jenkin's Theatre dressing room. "There are traces of the same poison that Samuel Frost ingested."

"I thought so." Ciel took the vial from his butler and examined the transparent glass in the moonlight. "Did you check the evidence in storage?" His eyes didn't leave the object.

"Yes. The very same vial was in the evidence storage. Though," Sebastian paused, "That was merely a replica – it had no traces of poison."

Ciel's brows knitted together, "Who had access to the poison?"

"Neither Miss Donovan or Mr Frost." A sly smile made its way onto the butler's face, "Rather, Miss Barns and her uncle."

"Them again?" Ciel leaned his cheek on his palm.

"She would have had easy access to it due to her uncle." Sebastian explained.

"What type of poison was it?"

"Fast acting and concentrated."

"…it seems she's a prime suspect, along with her uncle."

"...at this point, it would seem so."

Ciel eyed his demon butler with suspicious eyes, "What was with that pause?"

Sebastian merely gave him a closed eye smile. "I was only copying you."

The young Master made a face and clicked his tongue in irritation. He slid off his seat and went out of the room. "Prepare my bath."

"As you wish."


	3. Day 998

A Thousand Words

Day 998

* * *

"You're staying here today, Miss Donovan."

"Huh…?" The long haired female blinked a few times, surprised. "Why is that, Sebastian?"

"Young Master's orders." The butler replied with a smile. "Don't worry, you will not be alone. The servants are here in case you need anything."

Lubelle nodded slowly, red eyes trailing off to the side, then back to the taller man, "Okay. Thank you for letting me know. Tell the Earl I said good morning." With a smile, she watched as Sebastian went, before closing the door to her temporary room.

She went to the windows and looked outside. A thick layer of clouds were floating above them, ready to rain at any second. Outside, she saw the gardener, Finnian, carrying something that looked like a tree.

It took Lubelle way too long to figure out what was wrong with him doing that.

* * *

"Who are you?!" Katherine demanded. She narrowed her eyes at the intruders. "You've just broken into private property! I'll call Scotland Yard on you!"

Ciel glanced at Sebastian with a lazy eye. They had come in from the window, hoping to get some clues to sustain their suspicions.

"Miss Barns," Sebastian started, taking a step forward. He had a hand to his chest, "We have a few questions to ask of you."

"Questions?" She scoffed, "Yeah, right! You're probably one of those fanboys that keep trying to break into my house! Tell these questions to the police!" She went turned around to exit the room for the phone, but before she could even take a step outside, she bumped into Sebastian's chest. "Wha—!"

His red eyes glowed with a frighteningly demanding aura. "Miss Barns, I would appreciate if you would answer these questions first."

Sebastian grabbed her shoulders and twisted her around so that she faced Ciel. He closed the door behind him and stood there, making sure Katherine was unable to escape.

The female actress gulped thickly. She glanced at the butler before looking back at the child, "Well?"

Ciel held an impassive look as he observed her. She was an impatient woman and she had a sharp tongue.

"Tell me what happened 3 years ago." Ciel requested.

Barns raised a brow and made a face before rolling her eyes and chuckling. "You mean when that bitch got arrested?"

Ciel didn't say a word in response. _So Katherine hates Lubelle._

Katherine crossed her arms, "Why would you want to know about that? I thought the whole world already knew."

"I'm simply curious to hear what _you_ have to say about it, Miss Barns." The Phantomhive's tone was almost playful, as if he knew what she was going to say.

Katherine shot him a suspicious look. First, they had come into her home without permission, then they ask her about questions regarding the incident a few years ago.

 _What do they want?_ Her eyes narrowed.

"Fine. However, I'll only say this once. That stupid bitch got what was coming. She got arrested for murdering her co-worker and the heartthrob of every woman's life, Sam Frost. I heard she was going to get executed in a few days." Katherine smirked, "How exciting."

Sebastian didn't even bat an eye at the sadistic nature of the actress. He noted that it was completely different to Lubelle's behaviour. His eyes quickly flickered to where he saw movement in the crack of the wardrobe. They landed back onto his young Master and the actress.

Ciel moved on to the next question, "Where were you yesterday?"

"Hah? I was acting on stage. At Jenkin's Theatre, mind you."

"Have you met with your uncle recently?"

"...which one?" Katherine's voice was dripping with suspicion.

"Gilford Barns, the commissioner of Scotland Yard." Ciel responded.

"How do you know about that?" The actress's brown eyes narrowed.

"It was in the newspaper." The tween answered almost smugly.

Katherine couldn't rebut that. There were a lot of things in the newspapers that even she herself haven't seen. Since she was an actress, it was very likely that someone had done a background check on her to see who her relatives were.

"And what of it? Why ask about my uncle?" Katherine pushed a strand of hair behind her ear.

Sebastian noted that action.

"Did he work on Sam Frost's case?"

"Yes, he did. Didn't you read the newspapers? His name was plastered over the whole thing, because he arrested that stupid Donovan!" Katherine spoke spitefully.

"I must have missed it. After all, I wasn't in the country at that time." Ciel lied. He turned to Sebastian, "Let's go."

"Is that all?" Barns raised a brow and crossed her arms with a look of disbelief.

"Yes. Thank you for your time, Miss Barns." Sebastian strode past her, opening the windows and picking up the young Lord. They jumped out.

"WHAT?!" Katherine exclaimed, running to the window. When she looked down to see their dead bodies, she saw nothing.

She gaped, where did they go? It was the 2nd floor, and she knew that people jumping off the 2nd floor of a mansion wasn't going to live.

 _Was I dreaming?_

"Katherine, who was that just now?" A familiar voice questioned.

The actress looked over her shoulder and then back out the window, "I don't know."

* * *

"Where should we head off to now, young Master?" Sebastian questioned. He had run back to the carriage on the outskirts of the mansion and placed the Earl inside.

"We'll visit Gilford Barns." Ciel decided.

It wasn't long before they were at the office of Scotland Yard. It was in the city and bustling, people running everywhere. It was a little hectic.

"Is it always this busy?" The Earl quizzed.

"Every time I come here, it's busy." Sebastian confirmed.

"Alright. Where's Gilford's office?"

"Right this way." The demon butler led his Master to the highest level, where he knocked on the door.

"Come in." Spoke a gruff voice.

Opening the door for his Master, the duo went in.

"Mr Barns, it's nice to see you again." Ciel nodded towards the commissioner. Sometime in the past, they worked together.

Sebastian smiled and stood behind Ciel.

Gilford was a tall and skinny man. He had a strict look on his face, which was starting to wrinkle due to ageing. His dark hair was swept back and his glasses sat atop his nose.

"Phantomhive…what now?" Gilford sat at his desk, signing paperwork. He only looked up once, but he already knew who the voice belonged to. "Make it quick."

"I want to ask about the murder case 3 years ago."

"There were a lot of murder cases 3 years ago. You have to be more specific."

"The case involving Lubelle Donovan."

No longer than the moment that Ciel spoke her name, Gilford's head snapped up and his sharp brown eyes narrowed at the Earl and his butler. His pen had stopped moving.

 _Oh?_ Ciel thought with interest. "You were the one in charge of that case, were you not?"

"…indeed I was. But why bring it up now? The girl's going to be executed in a couple of days' time." Gilford's browns met Ciel's blues.

"Tell me about that case. You probably remember it well," Ciel shrugged lightly, "After all, your niece quite liked the main leading actor."

Gilford's jaw clenched slightly, but that didn't go by unnoticed by the butler or his Master.

"Yes…she did. She was quite shocked to see that her favourite actress and actor had been caught up in a murder."

 _Favourite actress? Don't make me laugh._ Ciel suppressed a chuckle.

"She personally asked me to take over the case, saying that I would be able to solve it once and for all. She said she didn't believe that it was Lubelle that murdered Sam."

 _Interesting._ A ghost of a smirk played on the young Earl's lips. He was having fun knowing the line between lie and truth in every word that Gilford said.

"She was devastated that it was Lubelle and wanted me to reinvestigate…but no matter what I did, Lubelle turned out as the culprit. That's why, we had no choice but to arrest her."

 _Hm…_ Ciel's eyes narrowed slightly, before he nodded his head and gave a small smile to Gilford.

"Thank you for your time." He turned on his heel. He glanced at Sebastian once. He nodded and the two of them exited.

"Queen's Watchdog." Gilford spoke. Ciel and Sebastian stopped in their spot, looking over their shoulders. "I would watch where you sniff."

"…I'll keep that in mind." Ciel tipped his hat and left.

* * *

"Tch." Ciel clicked his tongue, glaring at the outside. They had arrived back at the mansion and were walking up the stairs.

"Gilford certainly spills many lies, doesn't he?" Sebastian chuckled.

"Did you find it?" His Master turned around to face him, stopping halfway up the stairs.

"Yes." The demon smirked.

Ciel turned back around, "Make me something sweet. I'll be in the dining room."

"Yes, My Lord."

* * *

"Come on, Miss Donovan! We have to go to the dining room now!" Meirin ushered the former actress out of the room.

"Eh? How come, Meirin?" Lulu nearly stumbled, but her fall was stopped by the chef, Bard.

"Careful there, young Lady!" He grinned.

"T-thank you…" Lulu nodded her head towards him and regained her balance.

As the three of them made their journey to the dining room, they took on a few travellers – Finny and Tanaka – who joined the journey.

Ciel made a funny face when he saw that all his servants save Sebastian was with the Donovan. "Lubelle, sit down."

"Okay." She sat down on the chair closest to the young Earl.

It was awkwardly silent until Sebastian came and served a slice of cake. He was all smiles when he stood next to Ciel.

"Did something good happen today, Sebastian?" Lubelle enquired. She didn't recall him ever smiling this much.

"Ah…yes. It seems you enjoy my dessert." He smiled. "That's what makes me happy."

Lulu blinked a few times, looking at her immaculate plate. She laughed nervously, "I guess…?"

Ciel was only halfway finished, his mind deep in thought. He finished his cake before talking, "How close are Gilford and Katherine?"

"Mr Barns and Kate?" Lulu quizzed. Her toes curled at the mention of the commissioner's name. It brought up bad memories for her.

The Earl nodded.

"They…" The black haired woman thought for a moment, pushing the horrible thoughts out of her mind and trying to gather the ones that were needed at that very moment. "I remember Mr Barns coming to cheer on Kate in every show she ever did."

"So they were close." Ciel stated.

"I think they were."

"Hm…interesting." The boy smirked and stood up, "I'll be in the study."

With that, the boy was gone.

Sebastian glanced at the servants, "Don't you have work to do?" He raised a delicate brow.

The group of them, save Tanaka, yelped and went off, doing their duties. Sebastian stayed to clean up the plates.

Noticing that Lubelle hadn't moved from her spot, he decided to converse with her before he left back to the kitchen. "How was your day today, Miss Donovan?"

"Ah! It was wonderful, thank you very much. Meirin is very pleasant to be around." Lulu smiled. She gasped, remembering a few things, "Finny is very strong! He carried a tree! You should have seen it!" Sebastian kept the smile plastered on his face. "Bard made some lunch for me! It was charcoaled black but the inside was very nice!"

Sebastian mentally sighed at the servants. "It sounds like you had a good day, Miss Donovan." He nodded once, "I'll have to excuse myself." He left the room.

Lubelle slid off her seat and decided to go back into her room. Halfway there, she got lost and had no idea where she ended up.

 _All the doors look the same…?_ She didn't panic and just tried to find anything that told her where she was. Normally she would have a servant with her, but when she left the room Tanaka didn't follow her.

… _where am I?_ She wandered around, knocking and opening doors. There was only one door that responded, and that was Ciel in his study.

"What is it?" He questioned, writing something. He glanced up but then continued what he was doing.

"I got lost…" Lubelle spoke truthfully. She closed the door behind her and just stood there, looking around the room.

"Why aren't the servants with you?"

"Sebastian told them to do their jobs."

With a sigh, the Earl finished the last sheet of signing he had to do and rested in his seat, "You look like you wanted to ask something."

"I do?" She pointed to herself dumbly, but then realised that she really did. "Ah, ok then…uh, I wanted to ask how your day went."

With a raise of his brow, the boy's shoulders relaxed. "It was interesting."

"That's good." She mused.

"Ah, Miss Donovan?" The sound of a surprised Sebastian came from the door that creaked open behind her.

"Sebastian." Ciel stated. "Get a chair for Lubelle."

"Yes." The demon pulled a cart inside the room (with equipment for tea) before leaving to go get a chair.

Now Lubelle sat on the chair, holding a cup of hot tea. "Thank you, Sebastian."

"It's my pleasure." The butler smiled.

Ciel took a sip of the tea and crossed his legs, "Sebastian, how are things holding up for her suspension?"

"The date of execution has been set to 6pm in 2 days' time. We have until before 5pm on that same day to overturn the decision." He replied.

Lubelle gulped. They were talking about her execution. She just quietly sipped her tea.

"…I see. So we have 48 hours to finish this case." The Earl chuckled and rested both elbows on the arm rests, a smirk on his face.

Lubelle noticed that there was a silence between them – the kind of silence that both sides knew what each other was thinking.

The former actress just sunk into her seat and sipped her tea, knowing nothing of what was really going on in the Earl and his butler's minds.


	4. Day 999

A Thousand Words

Day 999

* * *

"Sebastian." Ciel handed a folded sheet of paper to his butler. "Get these."

The demon took the sheet and read it through once, placing it into his breast pocket once he was finished. He had a hand over his chest as he nodded, "Yes, my Lord."

The butler left, leaving Ciel alone in his study. He made his way to the dining hall to eat his breakfast, in which Sebastian would have already prepared. When he got there, Lubelle was already eating.

"Good morning, Ciel." She smiled.

"Good morning." He sat down in his seat and began to eat, feeling famished.

"Where's Sebastian? I haven't seen him all day." She wondered.

"He's out running some errands." Ciel replied.

"Oh…" Lubelle nodded slowly and finished her meal, "That leaves us here then. What is there to do here?"

Ciel turned a lazy eye to her, "We could play a game."

"A game? Are you fond of games, Ciel?" Lulu turned to him with curious eyes.

 _She doesn't look like she's slept well,_ Ciel noted the dark bags that were starting to become apparent. She looked tired.

"Yes." He replied, "I am quite fond of them."

"Then let's play a game!" She grinned.

The boy's brow raised at her happy behaviour. He was briefly reminded of the previous times he had met her and seen her personality up close. He took one last bite of his meal, finishing it off before slipping out of his seat.

"Follow me so you don't get lost." Ciel looked over his shoulder at the female who still sat at the table. She hurriedly got out of her seat and followed the younger one.

* * *

"Young Master—" Sebastian opened the door but stopped himself mid-sentence when he realised that someone was sleeping.

He walked fully into the room, seeing that there were a few games here and there. Ciel was sitting and reading a book, whilst Lubelle lay on the long chair, having dozed off.

"Did you get everything?" Ciel asked. His voice was toned down a notch so that he wouldn't wake the female.

"Yes." Sebastian took out a few slips of paper and handed them to the young Lord.

Ciel skimmed through its contents and he nodded his head in approval. "Did you find the 2nd?"

"Yes." Sebastian smirked, "I met him." Ciel stayed quiet so that he could elaborate. "As you thought, there was another person behind this."

The corner of Ciel's lips pulled upwards.

Sebastian tilted his head so that he was looking at Lubelle. He then turned back to Ciel, "It was a Shinigami."

"Shinigami?" Ciel's blue eyes widened.

"The same person that was at the Jenkin's Theatre when we entered." Sebastian recalled the presence he felt.

"What would a Shinigami have to do with anything?" Ciel brought his hand up to his lips in a thoughtful motion. "Where did you meet him?"

"Katherine Barns' home."

Ciel was silent for a moment. "So they are in cahoots with each other?"

"I suppose so. He is acting as her messenger." Sebastian chuckled.

"Messenger for what?"

"For news regarding anything that might dirty her reputation. That includes the 3 year old case where Lubelle was arrested. Katherine was quite suspicious of us."

"What of Gilford?"

"He's on his guard. He knows that you'll be digging information and thus burned the documents that would endanger his reputation, along with the truth."

Ciel's eyes narrowed at his butler, "Did you retrieve them?"

"I have the legitimate files here. Thankfully I copied them when I went there last. I swapped them." Sebastian chuckled darkly and took out more sheets from his jacket. He handed them to Ciel.

Ciel looked over them and a smirk grew onto his face. "Sounds like our work load just got lighter." He glanced to the table between Lubelle and him. They had been playing chess last, but Lubelle had fallen asleep when Ciel went to the restroom. He moved the queen chess piece so that it knocked over the queen chess piece of the opposing side.

"Now all we need to do is figure out the king's position."

* * *

When Lubelle awoke, she was in her own bed.

"Huh…?" She drowsily rubbed her eyes and looked around, remembering that she was playing chess with the young Earl.

 _Did I fall asleep…?_ She asked herself. Seeing the time was the late afternoon, she decided to get some fresh air.

As she was walking, she saw the servants running here and there, as if their work load had suddenly gotten heavier and they had many things to do. The female walked slowly towards the dining room – the only room she remembered.

Once she opened the door to go in, she gasped at what it looked like inside. It was furnished lavishly and looked completely different – it looked like preparation for a party.

"What is this…?" Lubelle glanced around. She hadn't seen something this grand in a few years.

"A feast."

Lubelle nearly jumped 10 feet when the voice sounded next to her. She breathed deeply, a hand over her heart, "You scared me, Ciel!"

"CIEL!" A loud, girly and high pitched voice screamed. In the next second, a blonde curly twin tailed girl jumped onto the back of the young Earl, nearly throwing him off balance.

Lubelle stared wide eyed and hoped that she didn't injure the poor fellow.

"Miss Donovan, come in." Sebastian had appeared next to the woman, holding out his hand. She took it and he led her to the middle of the room, where Ciel and the bubbly girl had gone after she had hugged him.

"EH?! IS THAT LUBELLE DONOVAN?!" She exclaimed loudly.

Blinking in surprise and because her ear drums were going to burst, the former actress nodded slowly, "Y-yes. It's nice to meet you…" She had momentarily forgotten that she was supposed to be hated, rather than liked.

"Elizabeth Midford! You can call me Lizzy!" She beamed and went over to the woman, holding her bigger hands in her smaller ones. "It's nice to see you again!" She chirped.

"See me again…?" Lulu quizzed.

"Yes! It's been a while since we met!" Lizzy glanced over to the Phantomhive, "Right, Ciel?"

Lubelle glanced at Ciel, who nodded.

"I've met you before?" She furrowed her brows in confusion.

 _I don't remember meeting him…?_

"Yes! We were really young then, though. So of course you don't remember us! We look different now! But we always used to go and watch your shows! They were spectacular!" Lizzy gushed, her eyes literally sparkling as she marvelled at the former actress.

Lubelle was speechless. She didn't even think that they were her fans at all – just some strangers that came to help her in her sticky situation.

"Ah…I'm afraid I don't remember you two at all." Lulu said apologetically.

"That's fine! Now you know who we are, so it's okay!" Lizzy grinned and turned to look at the door, where her servant, Paula, had slipped in.

Sebastian put on some music as the servants all carried out a few side dishes, placing them on the table.

"Come on, let's get seated!" Lizzy dragged Lubelle to the table, forcing her to sit opposite her so that she could stare.

Ciel sat at the end of the table, observing the situation between his fiancée and his guest. It was rather amusing.

As the night dragged on, dinner was served, with Lizzy chatting to Lubelle about various topics, whilst Ciel and Sebastian mainly listened, adding their input here and there. It wasn't long before the night had finished and Lizzy had gone home – leaving Lubelle a tired mess.

She yawned, "Excuse me." She turned to Ciel and Sebastian, "Thank you for throwing a party. It was wonderful." She smiled.

"You had fun, no?" Sebastian smiled charmingly.

"Yes…but it's alright, you didn't need to throw a party just for me." She spoke with a sad smile.

The Earl and his butler blinked a few times in surprise. A smirk touched Sebastian's lips as Ciel looked away with a shrug, leaning back on his chair.

Lubelle giggled and nodded her head in appreciation, "I'll retire to my room now. Thank you for the night." Meirin hurriedly followed Lulu as she exited.

"She saw right through us." Sebastian chuckled.

"It was obvious." Ciel yawned. He stood up, "I'm tired. Prepare my bath." He ordered, walking off.

"Yes, young Master."

* * *

 _I wonder if they've solved the case,_ Lubelle wondered. She was in the comfy bed, but couldn't sleep just yet. Her mind kept wandering off to what would happen tomorrow – if she wasn't proven innocent.

 _I guess it's my last night here…_ she thought sadly. She remembered Lizzy's face whenever she talked to her; it was full of happiness and glee whenever she mentioned her shows.

 _She must have really liked them,_ Lulu thought to herself, _I wish I could have acted a little more…_

"Are you awake, Miss Donovan?" A knock on the door sounded the female half-awake.

"Come in." She said softly. She wasn't sure if Sebastian heard it or not; but he walked in, so he must have.

Lubelle adjusted her eyes; he had a lighted candelabra with him in one hand but the other hand had an envelope. She sat up and yawned yet again.

"Excuse me." She said tiredly.

"Miss Donovan. The young Master would like you to have this." The butler neared her and handed her the envelope, "He said to not open it now – but to open it at 5.50pm tomorrow."

Lubelle took the envelope and stared at it with confusion. She looked back up at Sebastian, "Why would Ciel tell me to open it just before I'm headed for death?" There was a strain on her voice; no doubt from her muddled and tired thoughts.

"That was the young Master's orders." He held a finger to his lip.

Even in the dark, Lubelle knew Sebastian knew something she didn't. The knowing look of his red eyes was almost playful.

"…alright." Lubelle agreed. She placed the envelope onto the drawer top near her bed. "Thank you, Sebastian."

"It's my pleasure. Goodnight, Miss Donovan." With a charming smile, he was gone.

"Goodnight, Sebastian."

Lubelle flopped back onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling. Now that she thought about it, she didn't know that much about the situation at hand – _her_ situation. To top it off, the date of her execution loomed just above her head – it was tomorrow.

 _I hope they find out who the true culprit is…!_ She hugged a pillow tightly, squeezing her eyes shut, _please, I want to act again! For those who continually support me!_

Her grip loosened, _but what if they've found nothing…?_

A stray tear slid down the side of her face.

 _Then what was the point of all this?_


	5. Day 1000

A Thousand Words

Day 1000

* * *

"Have you gotten all the things I've asked?" Ciel glanced at his butler in his study. It was the morning of the day of execution. Therefore, the last day to try for Lubelle's freedom.

"Yes." Sebastian smirked cunningly.

The young Earl nodded and stood from his seat, going towards the door. He stopped short, "Make sure all preparations are complete."

"Yes, my Lord." Sebastian chuckled as he bowed his head to the young Earl.

* * *

Lubelle awoke with slightly red, puffy eyes. The curtains had been pulled back and the morning sun had come through, rousting her awake. Her vision adjusted and she stared at the butler that had come to wake her. He had a pleasant smile on his face.

"Good morning, Miss Donovan." He travelled to the cart that he had come with. On it was an assortment of light food items just in case she got hungry, as well as some hot tea and water to hydrate her dry throat. He handed her a cup of earl grey tea.

"Good morning Sebastian." Lubelle thanked him gratefully for the drink. She took a small sip and stared at the butler doing his job. "Sebastian, are my eyes red and puffy?" She could almost feel it. Those tears the night before weren't supposed to go on for that long.

With a slightly surprised expression, the demon stared at her face with an impassive, yet almost innocent, look. "They are not too noticeable, if I do say so myself, Miss Donovan."

"I…I see…" Lulu stared into the little cup of tea, seeing the reflection of the ceiling.

"If I may…" Sebastian started. She glanced at him. "To lessen the redness, you could apply slices of cucumber to your eyelids."

With a small smile, Lubelle thanked him for his advice, "Thank you, Sebastian. But I don't think that will be necessary."

The demon observed her expressions – she seemed to have given up hope of some sort, like she was just passively admitting death. A smirk threatened to curl his lips but he suppressed it.

"Miss Donovan, are you awake?" There were a couple of knocks on the door.

"Come in."

Meirin popped her head in and glanced around, seeing that the mistress had awoken. When her eyes landed on Sebastian, her face went tomato red.

Lubelle was reminded of her younger years – when her friend would blush upon seeing Samuel. Back then, Lubelle and Sam were in a lot of shows and plays together, one that would bring envy to girls that saw their friendship. It was the same with her long-time friend, and it was because of their blinded love for Sam, their idol and crush, that they would eventually break off friendships with Lulu.

"Miss Donovan? Are you alright?" Sebastian and Meirin were right in front of her face, blinking their big warm coloured eyes.

Shaking out of the memory, Lubelle laughed lightly and nodded, "I'm…I'm fine, really. I was just remembering a few things."

"If you're so sure then I'll take my leave." With a small bow, the butler was out.

"Now, the Young Master requested that you dressed up in simple clothes!" Meirin took out a paperboy outfit.

"A paperboy's outfit…?" She questioned with a tilt of her head. She had been in many costumes before, but it had only been once that she'd worn a paperboy's wear. "Would it fit me?" She had no qualms about wearing it.

"It will fit, no worries there!" The maid grinned.

"Okay then…" Lubelle allowed Meirin to dress her, but she wondered why Ciel would get her to dress as a paperboy.

 _What does he have planned?_

Once dressed, the former actress was forcibly led to a mirror and twirled to see what she looked like.

"You look very boy-ish, Miss Donovan!" Meirin smiled, hands on her shoulders.

"Uhm…" Lulu didn't know what to say. She pulled the hem of the shirt and tucked it in. As she stood there, Meirin tied her hair and placed a hat on top of her head.

Lubelle had to admit, it did make her look like a cute paperboy.

"Let's go, let's go! You need to have breakfast, Miss Donovan!" Meirin pushed her out the door. Once Lubelle was outside, Meirin remembered something of vital importance and grabbed it from the drawer top, rushing back to the older female's side. She handed her the envelope she had received from Sebastian the night before.

"Remember to take this, Miss Donovan! Sebastian says to make sure to keep it safe!" Meirin beamed. She gently pushed her forward, "Now, let's get going!"

Lubelle was dragged to the dining hall. She raised an eyebrow at the envelope, confusion setting in her veins.

 _What exactly was in it?_

* * *

Lubelle sat nervously, her hands on her lap and scrunched up into fists. The envelope was inside the light cardigan she wore.

 _How did it come to this…?_ She mentally freaked as her red coloured eyed darted forward, then quickly to the side again.

 _THE QUEEN IS IN FRONT OF ME?!_

"My, my…you don't have to be so nervous, Miss Lubelle." The Queen gave her a closed eye smile.

"Uh, um, i-it's an h-honour to be in your presence, Your Majesty…" Lubelle stammered. She had no idea why she was here in the first place. After she had changed into the paperboy outfit, Meirin had taken her to the dining room to eat, and then after that, they had taken her to the palace. She was kept in the dark the whole time and didn't even know what it looked like outside the carriage until she arrived.

And then they left her there.

Which brings her to the situation now.

The Queen smiled and helped herself to some tea, breathing in the wonderful aroma, "Miss Lubelle, how was your stay with the Earl of Phantomhive?"

Lulu met the kind eyes of the Queen. Her thoughts were jumbled, but she tried her best to say something that sounded like her experience. "I-it was very pleasant. They're very hospitable and friendly to me…so I don't feel alone nor do I feel threatened."

"That's a wonderful thing to hear."

Lubelle could only nod to that. She didn't know what else to say – since everything had been summed up in a few sentences.

With a clink of the Queen's cup against the saucer, she spoke again, "It's a shame that I will not be able to see you on stage anymore."

The Donovan's red eyes widened as she listened to those words – it was like there was a hidden meaning behind them – but she couldn't exactly point out what. But the Queen didn't give anything away, only giving her the exact same smile as before.

"I remember a show that you played the lead in," The Queen started, "It was when you were a lot younger…do you remember?"

"I do. I was only 14 then."

"It was your breakout role that helped you in gathering more jobs; more show leads. I distinctively remember the paperboy outfit that you wore. It was rather endearing." The Queen laughed lightly, "I remember it to be the same as the one you're wearing now."

Lubelle blinked a few times, wondering if she heard right. The first major show she starred in, had the same paperboy outfit as the one she now wore? Now that was strange.

"Paperboy outfits are very similar, Your Majesty. It was such a long time ago, I don't think this one would be the same one." Lulu looked down at her attire.

"No," The Queen paused, "It's the same."

The former actress didn't know what to say about that. She just sat there silently, waiting for something or someone to break the silence.

"Ah, pardon me." The Queen placed a hand on her cheek, then had it back on her lap, "Aside from the paperboy outfit, I remember your best friend, the one that acted alongside you."

Lubelle shifted her eyes away ever so slightly. "She was a good actress."

"It must have been hard, Miss Lubelle," The Queen paused, before a small smile stuck to her face, "But don't worry. I believe the Earl can sort it out."

Lubelle didn't know the meaning behind those words. She merely stared at the Queen, who was all smiles, having a mixed feeling of good and bad in her gut.

* * *

Ciel smirked and tilted his hat, "I was right, after all."

Sebastian smiled at the Shinigami in front of him, having found him loitering inside Katherine's home. She wasn't home, so the Phantomhive took this opportunity to sneak in.

"You were right, boy?" The Shinigami was unlike the other ones that the Phantomhive had encountered – he had long, straight black hair and sharp features; was as tall as Sebastian; wore a suit; and had the stereotypical yellow green eyes of a Shinigami. "You already knew I was here, why did you even need to say it?" He glanced at the young boy, then at the demon. Unlike other Shinigami, he didn't give Sebastian a dirty eye, instead, his expression remained impassive.

Ciel pondered for a brief moment, "Come to Lubelle's execution tonight."

"Hm?" The Shinigami's brows perked up for a moment, before a smirk went onto his face, "I was already planning to."

The confused look on the Earl and butler's faces was something worth noting down. Finally, Ciel asked, "Are you going to take her soul then?"

The Shinigami shrugged, "I don't know, am I?" He asked teasingly. He thought that they were so serious, that it was just plain funny.

"Why are you so co-operative?" The Earl questioned. He wasn't able to get that question off his mind. It seemed important.

The Shinigami started braiding his hair, having a disinterested look on his face. Even though he was a handsome male Shinigami, he still cared for his appearance, much like Grell did. Though, he wasn't as flamboyant and annoying as he was.

"Well, that's up for me to decide, isn't it?" He smiled, "And my name is Hugh."

The Phantomhive's blue eyes narrowed slightly and he cast his gaze to Sebastian. The butler merely stared back.

"We'll see you at the execution." Ciel tipped his hat and turned on his heel, stomping his cane onto the ground, "Sebastian. Let's go."

"This will be fun, won't it…Phantomhive?"

When Ciel had looked over his shoulder to question Hugh's use of words and sly tone of voice, he was met with nobody. The Shinigami had disappeared into thin air.

* * *

Lubelle slid down her seat in the carriage. She was alone after the confrontation with the Queen. It was a nerve-racking experience for her, considering that she was the person who ordered Ciel to help her out, as well as one of the people who enjoyed watching her perform.

She let out a massive sigh, feeling the tenseness vanish from her shoulders like angels ascending to the heavens.

After her meeting with the Queen, she was ushered out of the palace and into the current carriage. She had no idea where she was going, but was afraid that if she spoke out, she would get an unfavourable answer, or she wouldn't get one at all.

 _Where are Ciel and Sebastian…?_ She wondered, peering out the curtained windows. She passed random buildings, but she didn't know where they were. The surroundings were unfamiliar.

Looking out the window wasn't exactly a good idea. Lubelle saw posters with her face plastered all over it, informing of her execution. People stared at the poster as they went past.

 _Now that I think about it…shouldn't those who be executed be locked up?_ Lubelle thought with utter confusion. It almost didn't feel like her last day, yet, it was.

 _Why aren't I locked up? Shouldn't it be done for safety measures?_ She shook her head, _no, no, maybe the carriage is taking me to the jail. The jail…_ her memories of her time locked up were pushed to the front of her memory, mixing with her current memories of her time outside.

"…I…" She murmured gently, gaze fixated on the clouds in the blue sky.

' **It's a shame I will not be able to see you on stage anymore.'**

… _don't want to die._

* * *

"The stage is set." Sebastian murmured to Ciel.

The boy nonchalantly glanced at his butler before proceeding into the carriage. They were heading to one last stop before going to the location of Lubelle's execution.

Ciel sat in the transport vehicle, arms crossed as he thought of the situation at hand. He had left Lubelle to the Queen because she requested to see her, but he didn't know what would happen to her after that.

Even though he didn't know, it didn't stop him from making theories. He knew that Her Majesty was fond of Lubelle, and that it was very likely that she would talk to her about many things. Afterwards, when they've had their tea, Ciel suspected that the Queen would send her away – but that was the problem. Where to? He had a speckling of a clue, but he wasn't too sure. He opened the latch that connected him with the driver.

"Sebastian, what time is it?"

"It's half past 2."

Closing the latch, the Phantomhive boy stared intently at the chair, thoughts connecting together.

 _Her Majesty is likely to have sent her to the place already…so she'll stay there until just before 6._ Ciel glanced out the window, _meaning we have 3 hours._

* * *

 _Where am I?_

The carriage came to a halt. The door creaked open and a burly, big and muscular man in a sort of mix of armour and clothing asked her name.

"Y-yes…" The female stared at him with an astonished expression.

"Follow me." The male reached out to grab her arm. She didn't even have time to flinch before she was forcibly dragged out of the vehicle. She did see, however, that the carriage driver was giving her a small nod as in a gesture of 'goodbye'.

"W-where are you taking me?" The Donovan's concerns were focused more on the man that was dragging her rather than the carriage driver. He was walking slowly, but because his steps were big, she couldn't keep up. It didn't help that she was being dragged either.

Without even looking back, the man's deep voice penetrated through her ears, "The jail."

"Wha…" Her mouth opened in shock. "A jail?!"

He didn't even reply, continuing on his way until they had gone inside a large building, gone down several floors, took a few turns.

"You'll be staying here until your execution at 6." The man opened the door of a jail cell and gently pushed her in, "Don't do anything unnecessary."

"Ah, um, but, uh— " Lubelle stuttered to bring her thoughts on the matter and just stood there, staring at the other person.

"You should thank Her Majesty, the Queen. She specifically asked you to be transported in a careful manner, and that you are not to be placed in a filthy cell." His tone was almost indifferent, but Lubelle couldn't tell if he was being sincere or joking.

However, true to his word, the cell she was staying in was a huge leap of improvement compared to the one that she previously had. Things were made more comfortable – it was basically a luxurious prison cell.

"But…why…?" Lubelle whispered, a worried expression taking over her features.

"I don't know. I'll be back later." The guard made his exit.

Lulu stood in the middle of the room, staring into space. She was still in her paperboys outfit.

 _Did he recognise me…?_ She asked herself in confusion. Her mind had leapt through the rollercoaster of emotions that she would have felt, going straight into the mode of thinking.

 _But am I not hated by society?_

Shaking the thoughts out of her head, she headed over to the bookshelf to inspect the books that were there. They were all just classics that she had read when she was younger. Some of them were the same as from the Phantomhive manor.

 _That's right. I haven't thanked Ciel yet._

* * *

People filed out of the carriages that directed them to the scene of execution. They wanted to see one of London's best former actresses go under the guillotine. Some were sad, some were happy. The level of emotion varied from person to person.

Elizabeth and Paula were among those who had arrived, a solemn look on both their faces.

The young Midford didn't talk much – she didn't know what to say, think or do. Sure, she was a fan, and still is, of Lubelle, but the thought of her getting executed for murdering Sam Fosterne didn't seem right to her. When she last saw Lubelle, she didn't seem at all like a murderer.

But then again, she didn't know how a murderer would act.

She was torn between believing in what she thought was right, and the possibly fabricated truth in front of her.

"Paula…what do I _do_?" Elizabeth whispered with a distressed voice.

The servant glanced at her Master and softened her gaze for a brief second, before smiling, "Why don't you wait for the Earl Phantomhive?"

"Ciel?" Lizzy blinked a few times and looked at her with an incredulous expression.

"Speak of the devil," Sebastian smiled as he stood in front of the shorter females, Ciel by his side.

Paula gasped in surprise; Elizabeth cried out her betrothed's name, hugging him and wailing.

"I don't want Lubelle to die! She didn't do anything wrong!"

Ciel sighed but gently pried her off him. "Lizzy, I thought you weren't coming."

"B-b-but…" Her eyes teared up the longer she stared at him.

The Earl sighed yet again. "You wait out here. I have something to do." He glanced at his butler, "Sebastian."

He merely smiled and the pair was off.

Lizzy followed them with her eyes, seeing them go into the place in which death row prisoners were kept. "Ciel…?"

* * *

"Donovan. There are people here to see you."

Lubelle looked up from the book she held, seeing the previous guard. She had nicknamed him the nice guard because he wasn't as rough on her as the others. "Who might it be?" She asked out of curiosity.

During the time in which she had been thrown into the cell, she had started to read the books there to take her mind off things. It proved to work well, until she was dragged out of that fantasy land and into the real world.

"Your benefactors."

"Lubelle." Ciel came walking in, but stayed outside the cell. He had Sebastian with him, who smiled at her when their eyes met.

The guard nodded once before heading out to give them some time.

"Ciel?" The Donovan questioned. She was unusually calm.

"Do you still have the envelope?"

"Ah – uh, yes I do." The woman in the paperboy's outfit rummaged through her clothes and took out the envelope given to her the previous night. "Is it time to open it?" She flipped the paper.

The Phantomhive was silent for a moment. In the end he nodded, giving the green. "It's around 5."

Lubelle's eyes widened and she averted her eyes away from him. Carefully, she opened the envelope and took out the paper, unfolding it and reading its contents.

Lulu couldn't even utter a word. She was too shocked.

"Scotland Yard will be here soon." Sebastian slightly bowed his head. "They'll bring the others in as witnesses. The Young Master has requested a reinvestigation to this case, thus the prime suspect will be placed forward."

"That's…that's…" Lubelle gulped thickly, her hand clenching around the paper. Her red eyes were wide and she just couldn't comprehend.

Ciel and Sebastian watched her reaction. The boy's big blues narrowed slightly.

 _How could she not have guessed? It was right in front of her the whole time._

"…it can't be!" Lulu managed to say breathlessly.

"But it is." Ciel stomped his cane onto the concrete ground.

"Where are we going? You haven't even answered my question!" The sounds of footsteps sounded nearer to where Lubelle's cell was.

"You'll see when we arrive."

Ciel hid his smirk and Sebastian looked through his long lashes.

"Why…why did you bring her here?" Lubelle whispered, her hands shaking.

The Earl Phantomhive wasn't able to reply, as the suspect had already arrived.

"IT'S YOU!" Katherine pointed a manicured finger at Ciel and Sebastian, "You two broke into my home!" She shook her arm out of the Scotland Yard officer's grip and clenched her teeth, "What do you want from me?!"

"Calm down." Ciel looked at her with an expression of slight annoyance. He quickly glanced at the officer, who nodded and stood to the side to overlook.

"You want _me_ to _calm down_?! If it's money you want—" Katherine clenched her hands, anger pulsing through her veins.

"I don't want your money." Ciel interrupted.

"Huh-?" Kate stopped and looked at him with confusion, "Then what did you call me here for?!"

"Did we call you?" Ciel chuckled, ignoring her question. He tilted his head towards the jail. "Why not look inside?"

The actress looked inside and her eyes widened, before a smirk twisted her expression, "Oh…look, it's the murderer! Lubelle Donovan!" She scoffed.

Lubelle's toes curled under her former best friend's gaze. Her hand crushed the paper and envelope, which didn't go by unnoticed.

"You were there on the day that Samuel Fosterne was murdered…weren't you, Miss Barns?" Ciel started his questioning.

Kate turned to look at Ciel with an expression of distrust. "Didn't I already tell you I was?" She gave an aggravated sigh, "If that's all you're asking, then I'll take my leave now." She turned on her heel, but she bumped into the chest of the demon butler, who smiled down at her with glowing red eyes.

"We're not done yet."

Kate glared at Sebastian, then Ciel, over her shoulder and turned back around. "What?"

"Tell me…how did you get a hold of the poison used to kill Samuel?" Ciel asked.

Katherine froze, her blue eyes widening. "… _what_?" She inhaled sharply. She looked at them with exaggerated disbelief, "What are you _saying_?! Are you saying that I killed Samuel?!" Her voice went higher and higher.

"Precisely so." Ciel studied her face. It had warped into a confused and angry mess after his thoughts.

"Where is your evidence?!" Miss Barns snapped, pointing at the pair, "If you don't have evidence to support these claims, then I'll get my uncle to throw you into jail for false accusations!"

 _I don't think they can do that though_ , Sebastian thought, _imprudent woman_.

"Evidence?" Ciel's blue eyes lit up and he chuckled darkly, " _Oh_ , I have evidence."

Katherine's face became pale. Her arm slowly descended as she stared at him speechless. She snapped out of it and frowned, "Then show me!"

"Officer." Ciel called to the Scotland Yard standby. He nodded and went over. Sebastian took a files from his coat and handed it to him, who read its contents.

"…I'm sorry to say, Miss Barns, but not only yourself, but Commissioner Barns will also be suspected in the murder of Samuel Fosterne." The officer looked up to meet Katherine's eyes.

" _What?!_ How can this be?! Lubelle killed Samuel! Her execution is today!" She tried to snatch the paper out of the officer's hands, but to no avail.

"That is no evidence that I had anything to do with the murder!" Kate insisted.

"Then what about the document forging? The bribery? The state of the Jenkins' Theatre?" Ciel's eyes narrowed further with each point.

Katherine's expression faltered with each one, but astonishment struck hard on the last one, "What was wrong with the Jenkins' Theatre?!" She exclaimed.

The Earl of Phantomhive glanced at his butler, then back at her, "…the crime scene was still there – why wasn't it cleaned up?"

Kate grimaced slightly but kept the edge to her voice, "It wasn't cleaned up with request from my uncle…"

"You lie." Ciel smirked.

Kate glowered, "And how do you know I'm lying?"

"Gilford Barns has no reason to not clean up a crime scene that has been _solved_. Only those with a higher authority than him in Scotland Yard – which aren't that many – are able to do so, or even beyond that. He didn't request anything. He _couldn't._ " Ciel chuckled, "But wouldn't it be convenient that he cleans it up, to cover up your tracks?"

"I've had enough! This is slander!" The woman shrieked.

"But isn't it the truth?" He asked lightly.

"You're completely wrong, kid! Where are you getting all these assumptions from? They're all wrong!" Kate rolled her eyes.

With a stomp of the Young Master's cane, Sebastian took out a load of documents which were cleverly hidden, handing them to the officer that had come forward.

"I have all the paperwork here. The officer in charge will check them through." Ciel tilted his head towards the officer.

"How do I know he's not working with you?!" Kate seethed, her ears going red.

"I'm here under direct orders from the Queen." The officer glanced at Katherine with a pair of dead serious eyes.

The woman flinched and she bunched her hands on her dress. She glanced at the woman dressed as a paperboy on death row and clicked her tongue at her, "Lubelle, was this your doing?!"

Lulu didn't reply and looked up to meet her blue eyes, sensing that a lot of her hatred was aimed not at her, but rather at the Earl.

Katherine crossed her arms and cast her gaze back at the officer. She couldn't do anything about him since he was there on the Queen's orders.

The officer had a sharp intake of breath, followed by a slow exhale. "I see. That explains it all." The officer walked over to Katherine and dipped his head in acknowledgement, before quickly taking out a pair of handcuffs and placing it around her wrists. "Miss Katherine Barns, you are under the arrest for the murder of Samuel Fosterne."

" _Me?! Under arrest for Sam's death_?!" Katherine let out a shrill scream before trying to attack the officer, who contained her expertly.

Lubelle stared at her with wide eyes, stunned she was still adamant about her not being Samuel's murderer.

"I DIDN'T KILL HIM! LUBELLE DID!" She screamed.

"Enough out of you. You premediated the crime and framed Lubelle Donovan for murder." The officer started to lead her out of the jail. Before he did, he nodded at the Phantomhive, "You have my thanks. Lubelle's execution will be cancelled. You can take her from here. I will announce it to the others." He rummaged through his pockets and found a key, which he threw to Sebastian. With that, he was off.

The butler caught the key and handled the keys to the cell, opening it with ease. "Miss Donovan, you can come out now."

Lubelle stood, frozen in her spot. She stared at Ciel and Sebastian with wide eyes, a look of disbelief in them. Slowly, she took a few steps forward, but she didn't reach the door. Looking down at the sheet of crumpled paper in her hands, the newly freed and wrongly accused actress matched her gaze with Ciel's.

"Ciel…why…?" She croaked out, feeling something was amiss.

"We got you out of there, didn't we?" The Phantomhive turned fully to face her. "Are you not satisfied?"

Lulu shook her head, staring at the ground. Her arms dropped to her sides. "Thank you…thank you for getting me out of…the execution…but…there's just so many things I don't understand! Kate had no reason to kill him..."

Ciel explained, "Katherine had no reason to kill him. But, she had a reason to kill you."

Shocked by his words, the actress looked up with her jaw dropped. " _ME?!_ " She exclaimed.

"Yes. You were a competitor and rival for her, weren't you?" The Earl asked rhetorically. She nodded. "She wanted to kill you. However, the one she ended up killing was Samuel. In a panic, she framed you for it." He continued, "And she put you on death row."

"But that still doesn't make sense! How did the vial end up on me? How did the poison get in the glass I used to give the drink to Sam? I don't understand!" Lulu cried. Her mind was a little fuzzy – Kate had just been arrested and it was too quick for her to grasp.

"It was planted on you, obviously. Someone tampered with your stuff before it was meant to hit the stage." Ciel pointed his cane at her.

"But how!?" Lubelle's memories spanned back to when her last stage was, recalling every detail. "If Kate was really the killer, then how did she do it? The glasses weren't poured until later, just before the scene! And Kate was on the scene before we were, so she couldn't have done it in that short time frame! She wasn't even in charge of the props!" She shook her head, "Someone else probably did it!"

"You're right." Ciel placed his cane on the ground. "Someone else did indeed do it."

"See-? Huh…what…?" The Donovan gasped.

"This person…cooperated with Katherine. They knew of her plan all along and went with it, only to betray her in the end." Ciel chuckled, "They planted everything for us to capture Katherine as the murderer…the one who premediated it all."

"Who was it…?" Lulu asked quietly. It was a little complicated, but she somewhat got what the boy was saying. Katherine had wanted her dead, but instead killed Samuel. But she couldn't have done it without having an accomplice, but that accomplice went along with Katherine's plans but then betrayed her in the end.

"But we can't arrest this person." The boy sighed.

"What? Why not?" Lubelle questioned.

"…don't worry about it." The boy closed his eyes to sigh.

"Ciel…if this other person was behind it, then how did they get into the rooms behind the stage? They're heavily monitored by security." Lubelle started to slowly move towards the jail door, exiting.

Ciel just hummed in response and turned his back to her after a quick glance, shrugging, "Maybe they're able to go through unseen."

Lulu thanked Sebastian for unlocking the jail door and followed Ciel, who had started walking.

"Where are we going now…?" Lubelle asked.

"We're going back to the mansion. You'll be staying there until things calm down." The Phantomhive explained.

The Donovan was speechless, but she nodded in the end. They climbed stairs and went through several doors, until they were at the entrance. The sound of shouting, talking and screams could be heard from the other side of the building entrance.

Suddenly, the female could feel her legs shaking. Even though she was freed from her shackles and her death, she had the fear that people were going to shout the same things they did back 1000 days ago.

"Stand tall." Ciel demanded, stomping his cane for the hundredth time. She jerked up into a straight position and let out a shrill yelp, which made Sebastian silently laugh.

"Let's go."

* * *

Getting out of the execution area was problematic. People were everywhere and it was hard to get through the masses. Though Sebastian did a good job, it didn't help that people still shouted out at Lubelle for being a murderer, and that she had framed Katherine.

However, as many comments there were about her framing Katherine, there were positive comments that were shouted at her, telling her that they knew she wasn't guilty, and that they were looking forward to seeing her on stage once again.

In the carriage back to the mansion, people chased after it, waving at her with happiness and relief on their faces. She even recognised some of them as her fans that attended her shows. As they exited the area, Lubelle saw the small figures of those who had stopped running.

Overwhelmed by the support she didn't expect, tears fell from her eyes.

Ciel glanced at her, before averting his gaze and taking out a handkerchief, handing it to her. Grateful, the woman cried harder.

"H-hey…" Ciel stared at her in surprise, completely taken off guard. He didn't expect her to cry _harder_. In the end, he sighed and looked out the window.

Hearing everything that had transpired inside, the demon butler smiled and continued on his way.

* * *

"How unfortunate that you found out about my plan." Hugh sighed and crossed his legs. He sat on a chair near where Ciel always sat, in the Phantomhive manor.

"I knew you'd come." Ciel took his usual seat. He recalled Hugh saying he would be at the execution grounds, thought he didn't see him.

"It was pretty elaborate, wasn't it?" The Shinigami praised himself.

"To you, maybe." Ciel stopped the urge to roll his eyes.

Hugh laughed heartily and shrugged, "What can I say? I'm a genius."

Sebastian let out a loud cough. He looked away and held his mouth, trying to push the laughter out of him.

Ignoring his butler, the Earl continued, "Why did you betray Katherine?"

"So you didn't figure out all the details?" Hugh raised a brow. He closed one eye and inspected his nails with the other, "I'll tell you anyway. She was a bore. Not as charming and humble as Lubelle."

"Is that your only reason?" Ciel deadpanned.

"Maybe." Hugh stood up and went to the window, unlocking it. "Anyway, I'll be going now. May our paths cross next time!" He sung, before throwing himself out the window.

Knowing he was completely fine, Sebastian went over to close the window, his laughter having ceased to only a smile on his face.

"Another case solved." Sebastian smirked, heading back to the Young Master.

"We need to get her to the Queen tomorrow and report our findings if Scotland Yard hasn't done it already." Ciel leaned back on the chair.

"Why did you enlist Scotland Yard's help this time?" Sebastian asked, curious. Normally they didn't rely on Scotland Yard's help.

"To take down a Commissioner, you'd need to have someone with equal or higher status inside the same organisation. Someone with a clean slate…that can put the corruption to light." The boy answered, "In this case, taking down Gilford Barns."

"Is that all?" Sebastian smirked, knowing it wasn't the end of it.

"Of course not. There's the publicity." Ciel chuckled to himself and leaned on his palm, "The news of Lubelle's release will spread like wildfire…and it will be widely trusted, because the citizens trust the Yard."

"I see." The butler closed his eyes.

It was silent for a second, before Sebastian spoke up, "As you wished, there were reporters and theatre script writers there."

"Good."

"You want to see her on stage that soon?" Sebastian had a sort of teasing tone to his voice, which was hushed up by the young Master with a scoff.

"She needs a job. She can't stay cooped up here forever."

* * *

"I'm glad to see you back, Miss Lubelle."

"Your Majesty…?!" Lulu exclaimed, red eyes wide. She had just come down from the stage after finishing her main stage, only to be greeted by the Queen once she went backstage. Her retainers and guards were with her.

"As expected, it was a wonderful performance. Please, keep up the good work." The powerful woman glanced at the taller retainer and nodded once.

The guard fished out a small pouch and handed it to Lubelle. "These are some cookies."

"Congratulations on your comeback, Miss Lubelle. I'll see you in your next show." The Queen smiled and left.

"T-thank you!" Lubelle called after her.

"Even the Queen was here?" Ciel raised a brow.

The actress nearly screamed and jumped 5 feet into the air when she heard the voice right next to her. She breathed heavily with a hand over her chest, holding the pouch tight, "Ciel?!" She exclaimed.

"Lubelle! That was a fantastic performance!" A shrill, feminine voice cut through the air, and a sudden impact around the woman's waist caused her to nearly topple over.

"My, my. Miss Elizabeth, you can't do that to the main actress." Sebastian scolded lightly.

The blonde girl pouted but let go of Lubelle, "But she and I are friends! Right, Lubelle?!"

"Y-yes…" She replied. She smiled at the group that had come to see her. She even saw Paula next to the butler. "Thank you for coming to the show. It means a lot."

"Well, it _is_ your first show in nearly 3 years! Of course we'll come! The plot is pretty good, too. Kind of like what happened to you, actually." Lizzy looked at the ceiling in thought. She grinned, "But you were great!"

Ciel hid a knowing smirk, "You haven't lost your touch." He complimented.

Lubelle smiled happily at him, "Thank you, Ciel! Thank you for everything!"

* * *

"She looks so happy on stage. It's like she belongs there." Sebastian chuckled. "The Queen must be ecstatic."

"She's a child actress. I'm not the only one who wants her back on the stage." Ciel sighed.

Sebastian sent a knowing look at the young Earl, followed by a low chuckle.

"What?" The Phantomhive glared.

"It's nothing."


End file.
